Quick and Easy Classic Margarita Recipe

Are you after an authentic margarita recipe? You came to the right place. The first time I've ever heard of margarita was during the movie Practical Magic with Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman. Oh, I used to love that movie. I still do and watch it every year. I couldn't wait to grow up and learn all about margaritas and how to make my own cocktail.

Margarita is a fantastic social cocktail which can be served on its own or in a pitcher. It's a brilliant conversation starter and usually one of the more affordable cocktails on the menu. But margaritas are best when made at home. They are perfect during the summer months or during dinner parties.

Here's the story of the margarita recipe.

A margarita is a cocktail consisting of tequila, orange liqueur, and lime juice often served with salt on the rim of the glass. The drink is served either shaken with ice, blended with ice (called frozen margarita) or directly on the rocks. As I don't particularly want the margarita to be diluted (I love it very sour), I love chilling the glass before pouring the ingredients in it. But you are more than welcome to add ice to the drink, it's perfectly cool (no pun intended).

It's ok to serve a margarita in a variety of glasses, but traditionally, the authentic margarita is served in the eponymous margarita glass.

There are several claims about the origins of margarita. Some suggest that it was first mixed in Juárez in 1942 by one Francisco "Pancho" Morales. Historian David Wondrich states that margarita is a variation of a popular cocktail called "the Daisy" but made with tequila instead of brandy as the original recipe called for. There is a 1937 cocktail book which contains a recipe which has the same ingredients and concentrations as the classic margarita.

There are other claims which suggest that margarita was invented by an American socialite with the same name "Margarita Sames" while one Jose Cuervo suggests that margarita cocktail was invented in 1938 by a bartender in honour of Mexican showgirl.

As with many classic drink recipes, nobody really knows for sure who invented the authentic margarita. But we do know for sure that these exquisite drinks has been made following the same recipes for almost a century.

The first known publication of a margarita recipe was in the December 1953 issue of Esquire, with a recipe calling for an ounce of tequila, a dash of triple sec and the juice of half a lime or lemon. [Wikipedia]

Margarita recipe ingredients

While there are many variations of margarita recipes, the original margarita recipe calls for 1 part silver tequila, 1/2 part orange liqueur and 1/2 part freshly squeezed lime juice. I personally like it a little juicer, so I like to add 1 part freshly squeezed lime juice.

I find it more delicious and better tasting. You can use Cointreau as an orange liqueur or triple sec. I like making it with triple sec. It's also much cheaper.

For tequila, I use Mexican silver tequila from Sierra. It's affordable and tastes very good. It's also what we drink if we have tequila shots.

Freshly squeezed lime juice is the key ingredient in any margarita recipe. You can use Persian limes or key limes from Mexico. Sadly, here in Germany, we cannot be picky so we can only buy what's available in the supermarket at that given time. I personally prefer key limes as they are slightly tartier.

The salt around the rim of the glass will bring out the true taste of all ingredients in the cocktail.

Tip: if you want a skinny margarita, make it without the orange liqueur (and without agave syrup if normally using).

How to make a margarita?

The most important part of the margarita is lime juice. You should always use freshly squeezed lime juice and not store-bought variations. It's the fresh juice that makes a margarita delicious.

You can use a cocktail tumbler to mix all your ingredients before pouring it into the margarita glass, or just pour everything directly in the cocktail glass. I don't have a cocktail tumbler so I just add everything directly into my margarita glass.

Before you start adding your spirits to the glass, add the salt to the rim.

To salt the rim of the glass you will need a small lime wedge and a saucer with enough salt in it.

Cut a lime wedge. Hold the glass and run the lime's pulp along the outside of the rim until it is covered with juice.
Fill a saucer with enough salt to coat the entire rim of the glass.
Hold the glass upside down and dip the wet rim into the salt. Press gently and twist it around until your glass rim is evenly coated.

Some variations of margarita use sugar instead of salt and other use smokey salt for a more intense flavour. Since this is the classic recipe for the margarita, I decided to use the "classic" ingredients only.

Use a 4 cl shot glass a measuring device to pour the spirits into the glass. Pour the tequila, the orange liqueur then top it all up with the fresh lime juice.

Tip: I use an electric squeezer for all my citrus. When having a margarita night, I use 10+ limes. I cut them in half then squeeze them into a measuring cup. This enables me to make the second batch of margaritas really quickly, hence keeping the party going. Alternatively, you can make a pitcher of margarita right away, if you prefer.

A margarita cocktail is best served right away. So I make them and drink them fresh. There is something really fun about making margaritas so it's my drink of choice when having a dinner party with family or friends.

Here's a fun thought. Now that you know how to make this margarita recipe, have you considered that margaritas are just the cocktail version of a simple tequila shot with a little orange liqueur added to it?

Traditionally, you are meant to put salt onto your tongue, drink a shot of tequila then have a squeeze of fresh lime juice for a complete experience. Well, margaritas are not that different. You start by touching the salt from the rim of your glass, then you indulge in the glorious taste of tequila and freshly squeezed lime juice. Margaritas are basically classier tequila shots with your friends.

I hope you enjoyed this quick and easy to make margarita recipe. Don't forget to share it with your friends and family.

This recipe has been developed entirely by Yuzu Bakes. Any resemblance with other recipes is purely coincidental.